Gun rack with sliding bar locking structure



June 7, l955 w. R. vl-:RMlLLloN GUN RACK WITH SLIDING BAR LOCKINGSTRUCTURE Filed Dec. 1, 1952 United States Patent GUN RACK WITH SLlDlNGBAR LOCKING STRUCTURE William R. Vermillion, Kansas City, Mo.

Application December 1, 1952, Serial No. 323,357 z claims. (cl. 211-4)This invention relates to a gun rack, and more particularly toimprovements not only in the manner of mounting and supporting the gunson theV rack itself, but in the manner of releasably locking the guns inplace thereon.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a gun rack that isinexpensive to manufacture, attractive, and lightweight, yet capable ofholding the rearms thereon by virtue of pins that not only support thegun stock, but pass through the trigger guard `to positively preventdisplacement.

Another important object of the invention lies in the way in which theguns are locked in place by means of a rod that can only be removed uponopening a drawer forming a part of the rack and underlying the lockingrod.

Other objects include the way in which the aforementioned rod fitswithin a socket at one end thereof and within an opening at its oppositeend, one wall of the drawer normally underlying the rod; the way inwhich the rod is held out of engagement with the drawer for freemovement of the latter to and from a closed position; and the manner ofproviding a locking means which necessitates not only rotational, butlongitudinal and swinging movement of the rod in order to remove thesame from its locked position.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a gun rack with sliding barlocking structure made pursuant to the present invention, parts beingbroken away and in section for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross-sectional View taken on irregular lineIII-Ill of Fig. l, parts being broken away to reveal details ofconstruction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV ofFig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed, fragmentary, cross-sectional view vtaken on lineV-V of Fig. 1.

The gun rack chosen for illustration r consists essentially of apolygonal frame broadly designated by the numeral and including an upperrail 12, a lower rail 14, and a pair of spaced sides 16 and 18 joiningthe rails 12 and 14 in any suitable manner, the rail 14 being spacedabove the lowermost end of the sides 16 and 18. The side 18 is providedwith a plurality of forwardly extending pins 20, each adapted to supportbarrel 22 of a gun 24. The side 16 is likewise provided with a likenumber of pins 26 for supporting stock 28 of gun 24. Guns of this typeare conventionally provided with a loop 30 on the stock 28 thereof,presenting a trigger guard, and the pins 26 are adapted to extendthrough the guards 30 when guns 24 are mounted on the pins 20 and 26.

Means for locking the guns 24 on the rack include an elongated rod 32having an uppermost end 31 extending into a socket 34 in the lowermostface of rail 12 and having a lowermost end 33 extending into an opening36 passing through the rail 14. Rod 32 is disposed suiiciently close tothe pins 26 to prevent removal of the guns 24 therefrom when the rod 32is in the socket 34 and the opening 36.

Rod 32 is normally held in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 by alaterally extending pin 38 on the rod 32 resting upon the uppermostsurface of the rail 14. Rail 14 is additionally provided with a slot 40extending from the opening 36 thereof and adapted to receive the pin 38upon rotation of the rod 32 from the position shown by full lines inFig. 5 to the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 5. It is seen,therefore, that when the pin 38 is moved into the slot 40, rod 32 willdrop from within the socket 34 and can thereupon be swung away from therail 12 for removal from the opening 36, permitting removal of guns 24from pins 20 and 26.

Means is provided, however, for preventing unauthorized removal of therod 32, and taking the form of a drawer 42. Open top drawer 42 is ofconventional character and is mounted for sliding movement to and from aclosed position beneath the rail 14 and between the sides 16 and 18 inthe usual manner. To this end, drawer 42 has a side wall 44 and a rearwall 46, the side wall 44 being aligned with and directly below the rod32 when the drawer 42 is closed, as shown in Fig. 4 and by full lines inFig. 5. Thus, the pin 38 cannot be lowered into the slot 40 except onopeningV of the drawer 42 to move walls 44 and 46 to the position shownby dotted lines in Fig. 5, clearing rod 32 for downward movementextending below the lowermost face of rail 14. Any suitable lock 48 maybe provided on the drawer 42, to the end that guns 24 cannot be removedfrom the rack while drawer 42 is locked in the closed position.

Many refinements may be included as desired, and to this end there isshown a pair of stops 50 depending from the rail 14 within the path oftravel of the wall 46 to prevent complete removal of the drawer 42.Additionally, the rack may be conveniently mounted on a wall if desired,by virtue of the provision of openings 52 in the sides 16 and 18 adaptedto receive suitable fasteners.

An important feature that is immediately recognized from anunderstanding of this invention is the fact that pin 38, normallyresting on the rail 14, holds the rod 32 out of engagement with thedrawer 42, thereby permitting opening and closing of the latter withoutinterference by rod 32.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. For a gun having a barrel and a stock provided with a closed loop,presenting a trigger guard, a rack comprising a substantiallyrectangular frame having an upper rail provided with a socket, a lowerrail having an opening therethrough, and a pair of spaced sides joiningthe rails; a barrel-supporting pin on one of said sides; astock-supporting pin on the other of said sides adapted to extendthrough the trigger guard; an elongated rod extending at one end thereofinto the socket and at the opposite end thereof into the opening andlocated to hold the gun on said pins; and a drawer mounted forreciprocation to and from a position beneath the lower rail, said drawerhaving a side wall in alignment with said opening for limiting theextent of downward movement of the rod when the drawer is in saidposition thereby locking the rod against removal from the socket andopening.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rod has atransverse pin normally resting on said lower rail, thereby normallypreventing downward movement of the rod in said opening and wherein saidlower rail Patented June 7, 1955y has a pin-receiving slot extendingfrom the opening, 1,202,444 Soleau Oct. 24, 1916 said rod beingrotatable in the opening whereby, when 1,678,353 Reach July 24, 1928 therod is rotated to align the pin and the slot and when 2,251,271 DelCampo, Jr. Aug. 5, 1941 the drawer is reciprocated away from saidposition,V said 2,616,566 Levy Nov. 4, 1952 rod is movabledownwardlywithin said opening and out 5 FOREIGN PATENTS of said socket.

27,508 Great Brltaln Dec. 3, 1906 Rafal-ences Cited in the le of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 839,298 Kitfman Dec. Y25, 1906 1

